Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a temporary advisory body in the United States federal government established in January 2025 under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Conceived as a reform initiative to eliminate waste, fraud, and inefficiency in federal operations, DOGE operates within the United States Digital Service (USDS), a technology-focused office under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Despite its name, DOGE is not a full cabinet-level department but a restructured unit combining elements of digital modernisation and fiscal oversight.

Origins and Establishment

The Department of Government Efficiency was first proposed by President-elect Donald Trump in September 2024 during his campaign as part of his broader pledge to “drain the swamp.” It was formally created by Executive Order on 20 January 2025, titled “Establishing and Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency.”
DOGE’s acronym—intentionally referencing the popular “Doge” internet meme and the cryptocurrency Dogecoin—was designed to symbolise speed, modernity, and online transparency. The project drew public attention due to its unconventional branding and direct involvement of technology entrepreneurs.

Leadership

DOGE was co-led by Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, and Vivek Ramaswamy, biotechnology entrepreneur and former 2024 Republican presidential candidate. Both were appointed as special government employees, exempting them from Senate confirmation. Musk described the body as a “brainchild for cutting bureaucracy,” while Ramaswamy focused on regulatory simplification.

Legal Structure and Funding

Operating within the USDS, DOGE began with a US$20 million budget for fiscal year 2025, with a proposed increase to US$45 million for 2026. It was exempted from several federal transparency requirements, including partial Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosures, which prompted criticism from oversight bodies and legislators. Its supporters argued that such exemptions allowed for faster reform without bureaucratic delays.
DOGE’s core mandate included:

• Modernising government technology and data systems.
• Conducting audits to uncover wasteful spending.
• Reducing the federal workforce and streamlining operations.
• Deregulating sectors deemed overburdened by compliance costs.
• Achieving up to US$2 trillion in savings within two years (later revised by Musk to US$1 trillion).

DOGE’s conceptual lineage traces back to Trump’s “Schedule F” executive order from his first term, which sought to reclassify large numbers of civil servants, and to efficiency studies such as the Grace Commission of the 1980s under President Reagan. Legislative support was introduced through the DOGE Acts sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Claudia Tenney in late 2024.

Early Activities (January–March 2025)

DOGE’s early months were marked by a mix of publicity, ambitious targets, and controversy.

Website Launch and Public Visibility

On 13 February 2025, the department launched its official website, doge.gov, displaying a Shiba Inu logo styled after the Dogecoin meme. The site featured interactive dashboards showing claimed savings, real-time audits, and terminated contracts. Its digital transparency format was unprecedented among federal initiatives, although the humorous branding drew mixed responses.

First Reported Achievements

Within a month of its creation, DOGE claimed to have achieved US$47.5 billion in savings across 61 initiatives, notably by freezing USAID’s Phoenix payment system and identifying fraudulent Social Security beneficiaries. A Workforce Optimisation Executive Order signed on 11 February 2025 targeted “non-essential” positions, with over 100,000 federal jobs flagged for review by March.

Public Communication Strategy

DOGE’s communication relied heavily on social media, especially through X (formerly Twitter). The official @DOGE account—managed by Musk’s digital team—posted frequent updates, often using memes to highlight inefficiency or mock bureaucracy. The department’s visibility coincided with a temporary 20% increase in Dogecoin’s market value, though Musk denied any financial association between DOGE and cryptocurrency markets.

Key Milestones

Developments and Performance (Mid-2025)

By mid-2025, DOGE had shifted from popular enthusiasm to scrutiny amid the ongoing federal government shutdown beginning on 1 October 2025. The department claimed institutional success but faced criticism from economists, legal scholars, and members of Congress.

Claimed Achievements

As of August 2025, DOGE reported US$205 billion in total savings, including US$85 billion from over 9,400 terminated contracts. Weekly updates from the @DOGE account in early October indicated the termination or revision of contracts worth US$3.8 billion, claiming US$622 million in savings.
DOGE publicised several high-profile audits:

• USAID: Alleged US$85 billion in wasteful foreign aid projects, including arts and education programmes abroad.
• Social Security Administration (SSA): Claimed to have removed 12 million “ghost beneficiaries” and stopped US$72 billion in improper payments.
• IRS and Medicaid: Targeted fraudulent refund and benefit claims.
• Institute of Peace: Investigated alleged financial mismanagement and missing records.

While these figures were publicised as successes, independent reviews by NPR and Brookings Institution found that only US$16.5 billion of the reported US$205 billion in savings could be verified.

Operational Challenges

Reports from the Federal News Network and Senate Democratic oversight committees in September 2025 described operational instability within DOGE, citing staff turnover, security concerns, and data handling issues. Investigations alleged unorthodox management practices, including lax oversight and data privacy violations.

Legal and Transparency Concerns

DOGE has faced multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits from watchdogs and journalists. ProPublica reported in February 2025 that DOGE withheld internal audit data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Collaboration with private contractors, particularly Palantir Technologies, to construct an IRS-linked data system raised concerns about potential surveillance and misuse of taxpayer information.

Political Reaction and Public Debate

Critics in the Democratic Party described DOGE as a “parallel government” advancing ideological objectives rather than administrative reform. Supporters in the Republican Party lauded it for exposing inefficiency and reducing federal bureaucracy.
Economists warned of short-term economic repercussions, including disruptions in employment and federal service delivery. The Brookings Institution reported that federal rehiring had offset roughly 20% of DOGE’s workforce cuts, while overall government spending rose marginally by 5% in some sectors.
Despite controversy, DOGE’s methods inspired imitation at the state level. Texas established its own Regulatory Efficiency Office in October 2025, mirroring DOGE’s audit-driven model.

Broader Impact and Legacy

The Department of Government Efficiency has become one of the most polarising initiatives of Trump’s second term. Proponents view it as a revolutionary step toward transparency and fiscal responsibility, whereas opponents consider it a politically motivated disruption that undermines institutional integrity.
DOGE’s broader legacy remains uncertain. Its aggressive cost-cutting strategy and digital audit model have altered the federal administrative landscape, yet questions persist regarding legality, sustainability, and measurable success. As of October 2025, Elon Musk has reportedly stepped back from daily involvement to focus on his private enterprises, leaving Vivek Ramaswamy to oversee ongoing operations amid continuing legal and political challenges.